Chance meeting leads Sabre founder to key backer

So many business deals start with a chance meeting and that’s certainly true for Sabre Technical Services in Slingerlands and First Columbia in Latham.

The unlikely pairing of Sabre, whose patented technology kills bacteria with chlorine dioxide gas, and First Columbia, a real estate developer, came at a banquet sponsored by M&T Bank three years ago.

First Columbia President Kevin Bette was seated next to an attorney, Karen Cavanaugh, telling her about problems he was having with foul odors in condos the company built in Florida. Cavanaugh told Bette he should talk to her husband, John Mason. He’s the chairman, founder and chief technology officer at Sabre. Mason and Cavanaugh were at the banquet because M&T has financially backed Sabre for many years.